5 species of phyllostome bats described by 

 Miller in tbe Proceedings of the Philadelphia 

 Academy Science, in July, 1898) ; errors in the 

 authority of gênera and species and in the au- 

 thors of papers (e. g., in crediting Bailey's ' List 

 of Mammals of the District of Columbia ' to 

 Bangs); adoption of the wrong names for groups, 

 thus differentiating forms which are identical 

 while reducing others to synonomy which are 

 really distinct. But the care which the author 

 has taken to eliminate errors of ail kinds is 

 shown by the voluminous appendix of 94 pages 

 devoted to corrections and additions of gênera 

 and species which were omitted, or which bave 

 been described during the two years in which 

 the catalogue has been passing through the press. 

 The most serions defect in the catalogue 

 seems to be in the treatment of gênera. Référ- 

 ences are so seldom given that it is diflficult to 

 consult the original descriptions. Moreover the 

 2,977 generic names indexed probably do not 

 represent much more than 65 per cent, of those 

 actually published, so that in some cases names 

 which bave the best claim to adoption are not 

 even mentioned. It should be stated that the 

 author' s aim has been to adopt the best known 

 or most generally used name for a genus, on the 

 plea that the work would thus be more gener- 

 ally useful — in short he has in many cases fol- 

 lowed the aiictorum plurimorum rule rather than 

 the law of priority. He has thus been led to 

 adopt some names which are preoccupied, but 

 in this respect there is a marked improvement 

 in the latter part of the catalogue. The sélec- 

 tion of the best known désignation, regardless 

 of whether the name is preoccupied or ante- 

 dated, is likely to lead to more trouble than 

 convenience in the long run. Changes in 

 names are always objectionable, particularly in 

 higher groups, but it is safe to say that nearly 

 5 per cent, of ail the gênera and subgenera in 

 this catalogue are likely to undergo change 

 within a few years. Dr. Trouessart might bave 



